Hitching a Ride
by timelords-wizards-winchesters
Summary: After many failed attempts at finding the Doctor, Rose finally comes across the TARDIS on one of her journeys across the Void. But is it the right one? Nine/Rose, Ten/Rose, Post-Doomsday Reunion Fic.
1. Chapter 1

She'd been searching for almost a year, making jump after jump, trying to find her way home. Trying to find him. And if she was being completely honest, she was absolutely miserable.

Rose Tyler wanted nothing more than to snuggle up with the Doctor in bed and just _be_ with him. Dimension jumping was difficult and depressing, especially when she kept landing in universes she did not want to be in.

Thankfully, that matter had been resolved when Jake had the idea to track the TARDIS's energy signature - but it was imperfect. Rose never knew what planet she could end up on, and after a rather dangerous experience involving some acid rain, they installed an emergency recall button on the dimension hopper. She avoided using it at all costs, because it drained the power - if she used the recall, she would have to wait extra time between jumps. Time that she could be using to track down the Doctor.

She'd just said goodbye to her family, again. She always said goodbye. Just in case. Because she knew that one of these days, she wouldn't be coming back. She'd find the Doctor, they would fix the problem with the stars, and they'd be right back at it - travelling the universe, together every step of the way. Stuff of Legends.

"Ready, babe?" Mickey asked, drawing Rose from her train of thought. She set her shoulders determinedly and held out a hand, accepting the yellow dimension cannon from her friend. Rose had decided a few months ago that she hated the color yellow. It had only become a reminder of everything she didn't have.

"Alright," Jake said from across the room. He looked up from his computer. "I'm tracking coordinates now."

Mickey lifted a giant gun from the nearest table, carrying it to Rose and helping her slip the strap over her head.

"Good luck," he said quietly. She smiled at him softly, though her eyes were tired, and pressed a kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks, Micks."

Jake's voice rang through the air again.

"You're ready to go in 3...2..."

With one last glance around the room at the Torchwood team, Rose slammed down on the button and vanished.

Travelling through dimensions was unpleasant, but the trip only lasted a second or two. And it was a pain she was willing to endure if it meant finding him again.

She landed on an empty street, her eyes blinking open as she stumbled forward, throwing her arms out in front of her just in case she needed to catch herself. She found her balance quickly and grasped at her gun as she looked around slowly, taking in her surroundings. She was on Earth.

It was just beginning to get dark. The only light in the dim alley where she'd landed was coming from a tiny light at the top of a police box.

She froze. Her eyes widened as she looked it up and down. Her heart leapt as she felt it - the slight hum of the TARDIS on the edge of her mind. Her chest felt tight and she felt her eyes watering, a wide smile breaking out on her face.

She pulled out the chain that dangled around her neck, underneath her shirt, and grasped her TARDIS key. Her hand was shaking as she fumbled with the lock, her vision blurring with tears. The door opened with a gentle click and she rushed inside, stumbling over her own feet onto the black, grated floor. She dropped her gun unceremoniously by the door, making sure the safety was on, and gently laid down the dimension cannon beside it.

Approaching the console, a disbelieving laughter bubbled from her throat. Her hands danced across the controls and the TARDIS's hum increased in pitch.

"I missed you," Rose whispered. "Is he here?"

The TARDIS indicated the affirmative and Rose's tears started to spill over. She took a deep, shaking breath, and turned toward the corridor.

"Doctor!" she shouted, her voice cracking slightly.

She heard heavy footsteps in the distance, growing louder as he got closer. The Doctor skidded to a halt in front of her, and her mouth opened and closed as she tried to find words. She took it all in.

Leather jacket. Blue eyes. Northern accent.

Her face crumpled and she let out a sob. She wasn't home, not yet. But she was _so close,_ and why couldn't it have just been the _right time -_

"Rose," the Doctor said, growing alarmed. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, burying her face in her hands. Her throat closed up, her heart pounding, and she told herself to relax, to calm down, but she couldn't. Her breath hitched as the Doctor pulled her into a hug.

"What happened? Where's Jack?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," she told him, but she wasn't quite sure what she was sorry for. Sorry she was messing up the timelines by even being there, sorry that she never told this face that she loved him. Her tears wet his leather jacket, and she inhaled his scent as she gasped through her tears – a scent that was so familiar, but long gone. Not the right one, not now.

"Shh," the Doctor said, stroking her hair. He was quiet as they stood there, and Rose's cries died down. When she was completely silent, her arms wound around his waist and her face buried in his jacket, he spoke again, his voice soft.

"You're from the future."

It wasn't a question.

"You're not supposed to know tha'," Rose mumbled into his jacket. She sniffed and forced herself to let go of the Doctor, pushing him away from her. "I need to leave."

"You're not going anywhere," the Doctor said, grabbing her wrist as she tried to walk away. His grasp was firm but gentle. He tugged her back toward him.

"I have to go," she said, sounding miserable.

"Why are you here?" the Doctor asked. "Why are you on your own?"

"'M not - "

"Don't lie to me, Rose."

"I can't tell you."

"Where am I?"

"I can't - "

" _Rose."_

"I don't know. I don't know where you are. Tha's the problem."

The Doctor was silent for a moment, eyes searching her face for confirmation. He frowned.

"How far into the future are you?"

"Well, I dunno - um. I'd say four years or so."

"Really?" he asked, suddenly surprised. "You stayed that long?"

"I promised you forever," she said, staring at him reverently. His jaw dropped a bit at the openness of her expression and the sad note in her voice. He swallowed.

"You never said..."

"Not yet."

"You didn't leave willingly," he said. She shook her head. "Then how..."

She didn't reply to him. She didn't know how.

"Isn't this goin' to cause a paradox or somethin'?" she asked instead, gesturing vaguely between them.

"Rose, why are you here?"

"'M trying to find you," she said, the words coming out harshly. "'M trying to get back home."

"On your own?"

"Yeah."

"If I..." the Doctor paused, searching for the right words. "If I lost you, Rose, I wouldn't stop looking until I found you. So..."

"'S not possible," she said. "For you to find me. Get back to me. You tried. I know you did."

"But you're here, now."

"Guess 'm smarter than you, then, ya daft alien," she joked weakly, still sniffling. He smiled slightly.

"Where were you that I couldn't get back to you? Where could you possible be - "

"I can't - "

"Just tell me, Rose. I'll make myself forget, I promise."

"You can do tha'?"

He nodded.

"Where did you come from?"

"A parallel universe," she answered quietly.

"A parallel universe?" he repeated. She nodded.

"'S a bit...well. Complicated. There was an issue, with some Daleks and Cybermen and Torchwood and the Void..."

"Daleks? Cybermen?" he said, raising his voice slightly.

"They're gone now," she said, laying a hand on his arm. She didn't miss the way he leaned into her touch. "They're trapped in the Void. I nearly was, too. But, um, Pete saved me - my dad, I mean - "

"Okay," he said, stopping her explanations. "I think you should start from the beginning."

He guided her to the jump seat and she collapsed, exhausted, curling her legs up beneath her as she leaned back. He sat next to her, tucking an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him so that they both fit on the small cushion.

"They called it the Battle of Canary Wharf," she said softly after a moment. "We were there. There's this organization – Torchwood, it's called, and they, uh, investigate. Alien stuff. But they were poking in all the wrong places. They opened the Void, accidentally let through a bunch of Daleks and Cybermen. We fixed it, you and me. But I got trapped."

"In a parallel universe?"

"Yeah. Me, Mum, Mickey. All of us."

"You were with your family," he stated. "Why are you here? Trying to find me?"

Rose stared at him.

"You really are thick, you know tha'? Always have been."

"Rose – "

"Because I love you, ya idiot."

His mouth opened and closed as he stared at her. She continued to speak as if she hadn't just flipped his entire universe upside down, picking at her nails nervously.

"I told you as much when you" – her voice cracked – "when you came to say goodbye. Just a projection. No touch. Burnt up a sun, ya said. We only had abou' three minutes, in the end."

"Rose," the Doctor breathed, still staring. She glanced up at him, meeting his eyes.

"We ran out of time," she whispered. "But I couldn't stay there. Not without you."

They looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity before she glanced away again.

"And then the stars started going out," she said, a bit too conversationally.

"What?" the Doctor asked, sounding alarmed.

"So it became more than just a personal mission. I need to find you. Future you, I mean. So we can figure out what's wrong."

"Rose Tyler," the Doctor said, in awe of his companion. "Look at you, all grown up."

"Defender of the Earth," she said, smiling a bit when he poked her in the arm.

"Come on then," he said. "Let's get you home."

"Wha – you can do that?" she asked. "It won't cause a paradox? You taking me to future you?"

"Met myself a few times," the Doctor said conversationally, shifting off the jump seat and circling the console. "We never seem to get along. Four years from now, you said? I can track myself down, find the coordinates."

She nodded, unable to find the words.

"I'm going home," she said to herself softly. A wide smile broke out on her tear-streaked face. She wiped her eyes and laughed, almost deliriously. "I'm going home!"

The Doctor danced around the console, and she clung to the railing, delighting in the way that they were tossed about. She'd missed it, the travelling. But she didn't have to wait much longer.

The TARDIS calmed as she landed and Rose stood up straighter, trying to put herself together, but she was a bundle of nervous energy.

"Ready to go?" the Doctor asked, holding out a hand.

"Yeah," she said, beaming at him. They stepped toward the door together, Rose stopping to look down at the gun and the dimension cannon she had dropped on the floor earlier. With a sigh, she bent down to pick them up, slinging the gun over her shoulder and putting the dimension cannon in her pocket. The Doctor stared.

"Please don't," she said, before he could even ask one of the questions that began brewing in his mind.

"Okay," he said after a moment, though he still eyed the weapon suspiciously.

"Hey," she said, drawing his attention back up to her face. She placed her hands on his chest, tracing the edges of his jacket, smiling at him. Then in a swift movement, she reached up and slapped him.

" _That_ is for not telling me about regeneration, you stupid Time Lord," she said, and she dragged his face down to hers to capture his lips. The Doctor was completely caught off guard, but immediately responded once he realized what was happening, nipping at her bottom lip as she pulled him closer.

"I miss you," she told him as she pulled back, slightly out of breath.

"I'm still there," he said softly.

"I know you are. My Doctor."

He smiled genuinely.

"Go on, then. I've got to get back to you and Jack, find out what trouble you've gotten into."

"Goodbye," she said. She opened the door and stepped out into fresh, cool air. She glanced back at him, leaning against the TARDIS doors.

"Not goodbye," he said. "See you later."

"Yeah. Suppose so," she smiled. She turned to look around, her gaze falling on another, identical blue box just down the street. She stepped forward.

"Oh, and Rose?"

She turned around.

"Have a fantastic life."

They smiled at one another, and she watched the TARDIS dematerialize just moments after he closed the door. Then she turned around and looked down the street. Her feet were moving before she even realized, the TARDIS doors getting closer and closer until they were just out of reach. And then she was laying one hand on the blue wood and grasping her key with the other, sticking it in the lock.

"Home," she whispered to herself. The door swung open.


	2. Chapter 2

Rose stepped inside the TARDIS and immediately approached the console, setting aside her gun and the dimension cannon. She lay her hand on the controls and her eyes watered. Her disbelieving laughter rang through the air, and she clasped a hand over her mouth. The TARDIS lights brightened and Rose was surrounded by her presence, relishing in the warmth and comfort.

"I missed you," she said to the ship, trying and failing to keep hold of her emotions. "I'm back." She looked around at the empty room. It was just as she remembered. The TARDIS hummed happily in her mind, enveloping Rose in a mental embrace, and she wanted to sob with relief. She was _home._ So where was the Doctor?

"Who are you?"

Rose's head snapped up at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, turning toward the sound. A ginger woman stood on the other side of the room, toward the corridor, with crossed arms and narrowed eyes. She was frowning.

"The Doctor," Rose said immediately, her heart leaping in her chest. She took an eager step forward. "Is he here? Is the Doctor here?"

The TARDIS got Rose's attention and indicated the negative as her humming lowered in pitch. Rose's heart sank. She bit her lip and her head hang low. She turned back to the controls, reaching out to touch them again, seeking the comfort of the TARDIS.

"Who are you?" the stranger asked, taking a hesitant step forward. "What do you want the Doctor for?"

Making an effort to blink away the tears the blurred her vision, Rose spun around and looked across the room. She took a deep breath and spoke in a rush.

"My name's Rose Tyler. I'm looking for the Doctor," she said, choking back frustrated tears. She was so, so close. She just wanted to see him, already. Her voice quieted. "I just – I need to see the Doctor."

The woman's jaw dropped and she went still with shock. Her eyes trailed over Rose's body, a smile growing on her face.

"Oh my god. You're – you're Rose?" she exclaimed. Rose bit her lip and nodded. "Oh, this is brilliant!"

Rose hesitated.

"It is?"

"He's going to properly lose it. Do you have any idea how useless that man is without you?" the woman asked, rolling her eyes. "Walks around like a lost puppy dog and I have to sit here and pretend not to notice. I'm Donna Noble, by the way."

"He – you know who I am?" Rose asked, her voice small. Donna nodded enthusiastically, smiling softly at her.

"'Course I do," Donna said. "He talks about you all the time."

"He talks about me?"

"He misses you. Doesn't say your name all the time, but I always know. He gets this look on his face, like he's remembering something…"

Rose's heart stuttered. He hadn't forgotten about her, he hadn't moved on and never looked back. He talked about her. He missed her. Her face crumpled and she took a gasping breath as she began to cry, tears of relief and joy and frustration because she just wanted to s _ee_ him already –

"Oh, sweetheart, don't cry," Donna said, approaching Rose with open arms. Rose went to her gratefully, hugging her tight. Donna rubbed her back comfortingly.

"'M sorry," Rose sobbed into her shoulder. Donna shushed her.

"Don't be sorry, don't be sorry," she said. "He misses you, really, he does. Might just spontaneously combust when he comes back."

Rose let out a wet laugh, pulling back and brushing the wetness off her cheeks with the sleeves of her jacket. She was sure she looked like a disaster, with blotchy cheeks and makeup running down her face.

"Where's he gone?" she asked.

"Popped out to the shop to get more biscuits. He ate two whole packages yesterday – _two._ "

"Of course he did," Rose said, shaking her head. "God, I'm sorry. 'M such a mess. You must think I'm barmy."

"Well, you'd sort of have to be, wouldn't you? To be in love with Spaceman?"

"How – how'd you know?" Rose sniffed. "That I – "

"I just assumed, I suppose," Donna said, "considering that he's obviously…"

She took a closer look at Rose, the confusion and anxiety in her expression, and trailed off.

"He never told you, did he?" she asked Rose softly. "That big dumbo."

The TARDIS door creaked open and slammed shut behind them, the Doctor entering cheerfully.

"Why am I a big dumbo?" he asked, having caught the end of Donna's sentence. He looked up at the Time Rotor, addressing the TARDIS as he set down his shopping bags and shrugged off his coat. He tossed it over the railing and immediately went to the console. "You and Donna conspiring against me, now? What have I done this time?"

"Doctor," Rose said aloud, but it was only a whisper. Her throat suddenly felt tights, and her entire body shook with a nervous anticipation. She stared at Donna with wide eyes, and the woman stared right back with a wide smile on her face.

"I think you've got some catching up to do," Donna said, responding to the Doctor and taking Rose by the shoulders to spin her around.

"What?" the Doctor asked, still absentmindedly playing with the console controls. Donna urged Rose forward as he made his way around the console. He looked up just as he came into view and immediately froze. His mouth fell open. Rose stared.

"I'll just leave you two," Donna said softly, smiling as she turned around to head to her bedroom.

The Doctor and Rose stood and watched one another. The Doctor's eyes were wide with disbelief. They trailed up and down her body and he swallowed. The longer he stayed silent the more nervous Rose felt, a ball of anxiety building up in her chest and threatening to explode with every breath she took.

"H-Hello," Rose said. Her voice cracked, and she was crying again.

The sound of her voice snapped him out of his silence.

"Rose," the Doctor whispered hoarsely. He stepped toward her, reaching out an arm. His hand touched her face, wiping away her warm tears, and he sucked in a harsh breath. "Rose Tyler. You're real. You're really here. How – "

"Doctor," she breathed. He stopped his rambling and suddenly tugged her to his chest, crushing her to his body. She trembled beneath his touch and he knew his own hands were shaking as they stroked through her hair.

"Rose," he said again, still shocked. But he pressed his lips to her forehead and tightened his arms around her, his hearts pounding.

"I missed you," she said, the words muffled as she cried into his chest. She clutched at the lapels of his jacket, trying to pull him closer still. The Doctor closed his eyes and breathed deep, his mind racing. They stayed that way, clutching at one another, relishing in each other's presence. The only sound in the room was the gentle, soothing hum of the TARDIS and Rose's sniffles as her tears began to slow. The Doctor's neck was wet with her tears, his cheeks were wet with his own.

His hearts lifted. She was here, in his arms – this wonderful, lovely human that he never thought he'd see again.

He released his hold on her just enough to pull away and look at her face, flushed from crying, but beautiful as ever.

"How?" he asked, and she knew what he meant.

"You," she said simply, and the onslaught of repressed memories hit him all at once. His eyes closed and he nearly staggered back. Rose appearing in the TARDIS, telling her story, slapping him, kissing him –

His eyes opened and he blinked at her, a tiny smile gracing his face.

"You impossible, precious girl," he said quietly. His smile widened into a grin. Her returning smile was tentative, nervous.

"Yeah?" she asked hesitantly. He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Oh, yes," he said, his fingers coming up to trace her jaw, leaving her skin tingling. His eyes met hers.

"I missed you," she repeated.

"I – " the Doctor stopped, choking on his own words. "I love you."

Silence fell again after his whispered confession, and Rose's heart raced as she scanned his face. His entire body had relaxed with relief. His expression was open and honest, and her smile widened.

Then she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, gently. The Doctor sighed into her mouth and responded immediately. She gasped as his tongue ran over the seam of her lips and she opened her mouth to him. She returned his enthusiasm, urged on by a need she'd been repressing for the last year.

Her hands ghosted over his chest until her arms winded around his neck. He pulled her closer, shifting them to the side and pressing forward until her back hit the edge of the console. She groaned.

"I love you," she gasped into his mouth. His mouth trailed down to press kisses to her neck as she pulled back to breathe, leaving her fingers running through his hair. He murmured the words in his own language against her skin.

She tugged him by the hair, dragging his lips back to hers in a frantic movement. His tongue delved into her mouth once more, and he knew that he would drop to his knees at the mercy of his enemies in an instant if it meant he could taste her like this, make her gasp like this, for the rest of their forever.

The frantic clashing of their lips slowed to a gentle caress, and then they pulled back from one another, their foreheads resting together as they breathed the same air.

Then Rose leaned back and yawned, suddenly tired as the fire in her veins calmed into a weary relief. The Doctor looked her over, concerned.

"You must be exhausted," he said, brushing away the strands of hair that fell over her face.

"Crossing dimensions really takes it out of ya," she mumbled, but she was still smiling as she looked up at him.

"Come on, then," the Doctor said. He pulled her away from the console and shifted to pick her up. She started to protest, but he hushed her.

"Humour me," he said, lifting her bridal style. She relented and relaxed into his embrace, tucking her head against his shoulders and winding her arms around his neck. He walked them down the corridor, past the library and Donna's room. His hearts stuttered when he saw that the TARDIS had moved Rose's bedroom back to its original location. No longer was the room tucked safely away where Martha or Donna would never stumble upon it.

The TARDIS let the door click open and he entered the room, stepping over piles of dirty clothes left behind on the floor. The Doctor placed Rose down on the bed, the sheets still crumpled from the last sleepless night he had spent burying his face in her pillow and remembering – the scent of her flowery perfume, the soft texture of her hair, the gentle grasp of her hand in his. The curve of her lips, that now pressed against his jaw as he set her down.

He helped Rose unzip her jacket slowly and pulled her worn trainers off her feet. She scrambled under the covers, curling up in the warmth. The Doctor stood and she panicked as he moved toward the door. She tensed and looked up at him.

"Will you – will you stay?" she asked quickly, her hand reaching toward him and catching empty air.

"I'm not going anywhere," the Doctor said, and she relaxed. He went to the door and closed it with a quiet click, then slowly undressed, kicking off his shoes and removing his jacket and tie. Rose held the sheets up as he slid into the bed beside her. He tugged her close to him, guiding her head to his chest and entwining their legs.

"Go to sleep," he told Rose softly. She snuggled closer to him.

"I love you," she said softly. The Doctor's hearts seized at the words – he would never cease to be amazed by her, this impossible human that saw his good and his bad and loved him for all of it. His arm tightened around her.

"I love you, too," he said. "Forever."

/

Hours later, when Donna finally deemed it safe to leave the confines of her bedroom, she was surprised to notice the new door just across from hers in the corridor. Curious, she opened it slowly, her eyes adjusting to the dim light, and smiled when she saw the Doctor and Rose cuddled beneath covers, asleep on a bed.

"Daft," she said, shaking her head. "The both of them."

She smiled and closed the door.


End file.
